People want to lose weight fast. And to achieve that, they look for the solutions online. There’s all kind of information online about the fast ways to lose weight. Being desperate, people are willing to do anything, even resort to unhealthy ways to lose weight fast because of lack of awareness. If you adopt them, then you risk landing yourself in trouble and invite many diseases. By anyway, you should avoid the tempting trap of losing weight rapidly. The weight loss methods you use should be carefully researched and scrutinized. Here are some such examples so you know what not to do. This is the updated version of an old post. ~ Ed.

Are you aware that among many diet plans or other methods, many are actually unhealthy ways to lose weight?

No, I didn’t. Simply because many of these weight loss methods are considered normal as we often hear people using them.

It is very important to know that if the approach you adopt to lose weight is indeed the healthy way. But how can you make out the unhealthy ways to lose weight from the healthy ones?

Before you choose the preferred way to lose weight, find out if you really need to lose weight in the first place. May be you just need to stay fit and not become slim – they often require different approaches or methods.

If you think you need to lose weight – then read on.

My doctor told me to lose weight so I ventured online to find the best and healthy ways to do so.

I was shocked to learn that the ways to lose weight that I thought were alright were in fact harmful. There are so many myths and practices of wrong ways of losing weight in prevalence that it becomes difficult to discern the right from the wrong.

One thumb rule to follow to follow is that if something seems too good to be true, put your skeptic guards on! If you read about any ways to lose weight without being active or exercising, without following a balanced diet or living a healthier lifestyle, then you need to consult the experts.

Why Do You Need to Lose Weight

Interesting question – isn’t it? With life becoming so fast-paced and hectic nowadays, and with most of us leading a sedentary lifestyle, we are faced with the problem of weight gain.

If we do not control the increasing body weight, we run the risk of harboring many diseases.

This warning is not only for the obese, but even those who lie on the borderline of the normal health index and are at high risk of falling in the obese group.

Those who have an ideal weight and are physically fit also need to follow a healthy lifestyle to maintain their weight and health.

We especially need to lose weight if we have medical conditions like osteoarthritis, diabetes, or cardiovascular diseases.

Did you know that for every pound of weight gain, your body exerts an added pressure of four pounds on your knees? This could either wreck your knees or cause difficulty in walking.

This shouldn’t scare you because if you follow the right ways to lose weight, you must be able to maintain your ideal body weight.

However, some people become so obsessed and desperate to lose weight fast that they go to any extremes. This is bad and can cause more harm than good to you.

“Those who have no time for healthy eating will sooner or later have to find time for illness.” ~ Edward Stanley

8 Unhealthy Ways to Lose Weight Fast That You Should Avoid

While finding the healthy ways to lose weight, I came across these unhealthy ways to get skinny and was rather amazed to see the extent to which people go to achieve their objectives.

1. Trying to Lose Weight by Starving and Skipping Meals

To be honest with you, once upon a time I also tried doing this to lose weight. But I now know that this is not healthy method.

There is a major difference between fasting and starving. When you fast it cleanses and detoxifies the body. Moreover, a controlled fast normally lasts for a specific period after which we start eating normal food once again.

Starvation on the other hand means restriction of food for a longer time period or people do it on a regular basis. What really happens is that your body doesn’t get the required calories or nutrients to function well.

Yes, you do lose some weight. However, you lose weight from all parts of your body, which also includes, fat, muscle, water, and even bone. You end up not only burning the fat in your body but also depleting the essential elements. You do more harm than good.

There’s one more thing. When you starve yourself or skip meals with the hope that you will lose weight permanently, the lost weight springs right back more and sooner than you can imagine!

Once you eat your meals the metabolism increases, and if you skip meals often, your metabolism slows down that may lead to weight gain.

When you try losing weight by following severe calorie restrictions, starvation, or anorexia, know that you follow unhealthy ways to lose weight fast that works but are dangerous.

This can affect you adversely and often leads to the inability to concentrate, fatigue, light-headedness, and often fainting.

If carried on it can lead to loss of muscle mass, hair loss, dry skin, brittle nails, or other problems. Thus, long-term repercussions of following this fast weight loss method can be life threatening at times.

2. Weight Loss Dieting without Consideration

Perhaps you all may have tried dieting some time or the other or followed some diet plan to lose weight. But doesn’t the weight come back after you stop following that diet?

I did try it once by following a diet plan for a month. Sure, I sure did lose a few kilos, but it came right back when I stopped taking this diet! I didn’t let it get past more than what it was earlier, but realized that such things never work.

There are so many fad diets like Atkins diet, Hoodia diet, Zone diet, which people follow without consultation.

Sometimes people get fed up of one diet and switch to another without completing one, so they never get to know if it really works or not.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), any kind of fad or crash diets for losing weight rapidly is not good. You tend to regain the weight when you stop the diet.

Such diets, according to AHA cause gastrointestinal problems, damage your health, and can lead to malnutrition, especially those that lay stress on eating a particular kind of food and eliminate others.

Let’s face it; our body needs a good balance of fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and all the essential minerals. In-fact, our body needs healthy fats, which actually help you burn the excess or unhealthy fat.

However, some people love to follow the no-calorie diet or zero-calorie diets where they even consume artificial sweeteners just to lose weight. In-fact, low-fat foods can increase the risk of heart diseases as mentioned in this article.

Also, you gain weight if you consume diet drinks because your body stores the fat and reacts to sweetness just as it would if you had something sweet.

3. Losing Weight by Consuming Drugs and Pills without Consultation

Even though we know there are no magic pills for losing weight, yet we take them.

Drugs like cocaine, crack, and methamphetamines (speed) are mostly used to lose weight quickly. If these drugs are taken for long-term, they can damage your brain and heart.

Celebrities are often prescribed drugs like Adderall and ADHA Ritalin for weight loss too.

Some supplements help in burning fat, but they must be accompanied with healthy eating and exercises. Moreover, the healthy eating should include healthy supplements that are whole-food based.

Some people use illicit diet drugs that can cause irregular heartbeat, dehydration, and even be a cause of yo-yo diet syndrome.

These diet drugs cause acidity and toxicity in the body. Also, as our brain is affected by such things, it can lead to lack of concentration and irritability as well.

In terms of weight loss, these drugs affect only till they are consumed. Often, when such drugs are discontinued, it can lead to withdrawal symptoms and regaining of lost weight.

4. Fast Weight Loss by Purging the Food

To purge means to vomit the food from the stomach soon after eating.

Sometimes people who eat large amounts of food, as in the case of eating disorder bulimia nervosa, are known to purge the food from their stomach.

The main concept behind purging is that the person is satisfied by eating the food, but doesn’t absorb the calories, thus will not gain weight.

This method is normally used after eating extremely large meals. However, the important fact that you miss is that you also lose the essential nutrients from the diet while purging.

Also, the repeated exposure to vomit’s acid can damage the glands in the mouth, your teeth, the stomach and esophagus as per the advisory of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

It can lead to serious problems of the esophagus and stomach like tears, ruptures, and ulcers. Though rare, but chronic purging can lead to cancer or esophageal adenocarcinoma.

Those who practice purging are at a risk for pancreatitis, irregular heartbeats, heart failures, and death from bodily chemical imbalances.

5. Losing Weight fast by blindly using Laxatives

Laxatives are foods, drugs, supplements, or compounds that loosen the stool or induce bowel movement. These come in the form of pills, powders suppositories, liquids and teas.

Laxatives have been used for weight loss for many years with the belief that these prevent the absorption of consumed foods.

By the time the laxative takes effect, the calories of the food consumed already make it to the bloodstream. It’s only the water weight that gets reduced from the use of laxatives.

Problems associated with laxatives taken short-term include dehydration and hemorrhoids. The long-term effects of using laxatives are renal failure, intestinal paralysis, pancreatitis, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Other possible effects of losing weight quickly with laxatives include kidney and colon problems, heart failures, a weekend immune system, and muscle pain or spasms.

6. Unhealthy Weight Loss by Opting to Smoke

You might think why smoking is also included as one of the fast and unhealthy ways of losing weight. Well, that’s because smoking is a popular way to suppress hunger.

Smoking sends unclear signals to the brain that increases the metabolic rate, thus killing hunger. People who smoke excessively can skip meals and still not feel hungry.

However, using this way to lose weight damages the body because the body becomes weak and there are more chances of catching infections and even cancer.

7. Adopting Weight Loss Method of Straining by Over Exercising

Exercising is a healthy weight loss method. But if you are already dieting and are undernourished, then over-exercising is one of the unhealthiest ways of losing weight.

Extensive cardio or doing everything in excess is harmful. Little bit of strength training and burst training for a few minutes are good enough.

When you work out, you also need to stick to a healthy diet in order to lose weight in a healthy way.

8. Losing Weight incorrectly using Saunas and Sweat Suits

Weight lost by using sauna or sweat suits is totally water weight. Such suits are mainly used by athletes who want to reduce weight for competitions only.

However, sometimes they can cause dehydration and increase the temperature of your body, especially if it gets out of control.

Some more extreme ways to lose weight fast include the use of electronic belts that produce electronic rays that are harmful for your skin. You don’t achieve the desired results, instead the deep penetration of the rays damage your internal organs.

Even tummy tucks or liposuctions are not very healthy ways to lose weight. They reduce weight, though only for some time.

Overall these unhealthy ways to get skinny are not natural, and anything that is unnatural is unhealthy. You can read more about such unhealthy ways to lose weight here.

You can lose weight permanently by making physical efforts and creating a mental discipline, but not by spending money on these unhealthy methods. So, beware of these unhealthy ways to slim down and practice the healthy ways instead.

“A diet is a plan, generally hopeless, for reducing your weight, which tests your will power but does little for your waistline.” ~ Herbert B. Prochnow

How to Lose Weight Fast and Healthy

Just as I keep saying so often – it’s all in the mind. If you really wish to lose weight then do not follow the above mentioned unhealthy ways. Instead, try the following:

Eat a well-balanced diet.

Include more of fruits and vegetables in your diet.

Limit the intake of fats, sugars, and carbohydrates.

Reduce your meal size gradually to the least required.

Drink lots of water and say no to fizzy and unhealthy drinks.

Exercise daily, pick up some sport, or just walk, as walking has its own benefits. Just 30-40 minutes of brisk walking for five days a week does wonders.

Always consult a nutritionist or dietician before beginning any exercise or reducing your intake of food.

“Adopting a new healthier lifestyle can involve changing diet to include more fresh fruit and vegetables as well as increasing levels of exercise.” ~ Linford Christie

Remember, if you follow unhealthy ways to lose weight, temporarily it may seem that you’re successful but you’ll weaken your body and deplete it of the required and important nutrients.

Losing weight will not happen overnight. It isn’t meant to be a quick process. To lose weight, focus on eating nutritious and healthy food, and remain dedicated with your exercise routine. But don’t overdo it!

The weight loss regime takes time and patience, lots of hard work, and a strong will. You should aim at maintaining an appropriate weight – not more – not less.

“To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.” ~ La Rochefoucauld

Over to you –

Have you tried any of these ways to lose weight? If so, which ones and what was the experience like. What healthy ways to lose weight would you suggest? What are your views on any of the unhealthy ways to lose weight fast that are mentioned in this post? Share in the comments below.

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About the author

Harleena Singh

Harleena Singh is a positive thinker and a freelance writer. She loves to write inspiring and thought provoking posts on self-improvement, family, relationships, health, and other aspects of life. She's also a blogger, who loves to share her blogging knowledge and experiences.

67 Comments - Read and share thoughts

If you are looking for an effective way to lose your weight, you can try out the right yoga postures. Yoga also helps in toning the muscles. Well, weight loss does not necessarily mean spending long hours in the gym. Yoga is an effective remedy for losing weight, and you can tone up your muscles too. Besides, it brings a relaxation in the mind. If you are wondering is yoga good for weight loss and toning, the answer is yes. It can help you maintain the fitness of the body. However, it is necessary to know the types of yoga that are necessary for weight loss.

Thanks Harleena, for making me aware that people do such silly things to loose weight, I think using crazy ways of reducing weight specially, smoking and Purging are dangerous. smoking will harm your inner part effecting your lungs and skin glow making you look older and dull. And purging will effects your ribs and lungs making you having breathing problems in future. There others ways like exercise, a having good clean food like salad, cereals and now a days new entrance slim and trim milk. Drinking slim trim milk will automatically keep your tummy full and will help you to avoid unwanted junk food, safe and healthy way to loose weight.

Ditching the fizzy, unhealthy drinks has changed my life. Being far enough removed from them, the thought of drinking a soda makes me gag now. I used to drink a red bull every morning and a Mountain Dew with dinner. Combine that with working at a high stress office and having kids, I bloated in the stomach and looked 5 months pregnant (I’m a man, by the way). Having a glass of water first thing every morning and keeping one on my desk as I work has been huge. And taking one 30 min walk daily. No other crazy changes yet, I have just done both of those with consistency and cut out the other drinks for the last 3 months. I’ve lost 20 lbs. It’s not magic, it’s consistency!

It’s amazing how we will try anything, even the craziest stuff, to look a certain way. Losing weight isn’t worth it if you’re not changing your lifestyle to maintain it. Dieting is garbage unless it’s a permanent change and not a temporary change.

Even the guy from Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead gained a good portion of the weight he lost back because the changes he made were not sustainable. He fasted for 60 days, and then ate a plant-based diet for a set amount of time. However, he didn’t stick to it because he put a deadline on it.

If you want to lose weight, take this tip from this article to heart and live it:

“Include more of fruits and vegetables in your diet.”

Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes are living food, while flesh is dead food. The more living food you get into your body, the better off you’ll be. Go flexitarian, vegetarian, pescatarian or even vegan as a lifestyle and you’ll drop the weight fast and in a healthy way.

GREAT article and it’s good to see content out there about all the super popular, yet horrible ways to lose weight we should all avoid like the plague.

I am glad you distinguished between fasting and starving. Fasting, especially intermittent fasting (fasting for about 24 hours once a week), has been shown to be very beneficial. The theory that explains this is that during fasting our cells receive much less stress and as a result they have the opportunity to recover and enhance their ability to cope with stress.

I find it hard to believe that there are people who choose laxatives and vomiting as their “smart” choice to lose weight. Good article.

Glad you liked the post about how people adopt some unhealthy ways to lose weight. Oh yes…some even go to the extent of using laxatives to lose weight. I wish they didn’t, but we can never stop people from doing what they feel is the right way 🙂

Great article! I’ve seen first hand how bad fad diets are. Many of my family members (and myself) have struggled with weight loss over the years, some of them taking to fad diets. Yes, they lose a couple of pounds but in the end they always gained it back! They just don’t work. Long ago, I changed my way of eating and made it a lifestyle and have never regained any of the weight! One thing I do religiously is drink at least one of my eight glasses of water a day with about 1-2 tspns of lemon juice in it. Great for cleansing and it helps keep my belly as flat as I can get it!

You are surely not alone, as trying to lose weight is something all of try doing. But if we follow such unhealthy ways to lose weight, it really gets us sick instead of feeling good about ourselves and lose weight.

Yes, you lose a few kilos initially, but you land up gaining much more in the long run. I guess you’ve been through it all so know about it. Oh yes…drinking lots of water is a great way of losing weight, and adding lemon to it ensures the Vitamin goodness goes in too.

I personally think that in order for one to start a fitter and healthier lifestyle, one can start by drinking lots of water and making it a habit. Water not only cleanses the body and helps get rid of toxins but it also suppresses the urge to mindless eating.

Yes indeed, following unhealthy ways to lose weight is very easy, though following the healthy ones often take effort if you aren’t used to it. Intake of water is very important, as it helps us to lose weight too. Like you mentioned, if you make it a daily habit – you begin to enjoy the routine, and it does clean the body of all toxins too.

You know a lot of fad diets I see floating around the net crack me up. I believe there was one called the grapefruit diet or something to that nature. Seriously, how do they come up with these diets? There is no magic pill, but people want to believe there are.

I have had weight cuts of 30 pounds in a month or so. Basically, I just gradually declined my calories and did more cardio. However, I do have to admit I was irritable at times. I ate about 40 carbs a day and 200 or so on the weekend. It was brutal.

Lot’s of people stop eating and don’t realize all they are doing is halting their metabolism. The weight comes back, too. For me, I just limit the calories and make sure I eat a balanced diet while trying to limit carbs. As a safety net use the treadmill and interval training when you eat to much 🙂

Yes indeed, there are a lot of such diets that are rather confusing as we really don’t know what works and what doesn’t. More so, what works for one might not work for another – so one can’t really be sure and say anything about them. Never heard of the grapefruit diet, though with the large sugar content in it, I’m sure it would be having its adverse effects too, especially for people with diabetes!

You did the right thing Garen, going slow, which is the key. Actually, when we follow such unhealthy ways to lose weight, we might lose a little initially, but over time we add on what we lose and perhaps a little more than before because we tend to eat up as much in a way to cover up for the time when we restricted ourselves.

Reducing our caloric intake, accompanied with exercises and cardio is what really works, just as you mentioned, and you can never really go wrong there. But yes, do so without being too hard on yourself, or you have bad side-effects too. Having a little of everything, or having it in moderation is what works best.

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